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Quotable Quotes: The World No.1 On NYC

Victoria Azarenka showed why there will be many more Grand Slams in her future in New York.

Published September 12, 2012 12:00

Victoria Azarenka

NEW YORK, NY, USA - Just as impressive as Serena Williams' victory at the US Open was Victoria Azarenka's inspired play in the final, going in 1-9 against Williams and nearly getting the win in the biggest match the pair has ever played. The World No.1 shared her thoughts afterwards in press...

On the final and her emotions afterwards..."I think It was a really great match. Could it have gone my way? Probably yes. But it didn't. And it really, really hurts. Being so close, it hurts deeply to know you don't have it - that you were so close, but just didn't get it.

"Those emotions come out and you feel sad, but it's time to really realize what happened today. It was a great match. It was close, but not for me."

On the drive to step it up in the second set..."Well of course, otherwise I would just pack my bags and go home. I had this great advice from one very special person that said, 'When there is still a point, you always have a chance.' I always have that mindset when I play."

On the tense moments in the third set..."At that moment you feel like there's no room for a mistake, like there's no room for a wrong decision. It's so tense and so close - you have to feel like you know what you're doing, you have to be confident, you have to trust yourself. I did - I really did - but a few shots were just really close, or at the top of the net.

"These kinds of matches, and every time I play Serena, it really pushes me to be better, to improve, to move forward. I have to be thankful to her for that."

On Serena stepping it up at the end..."Well, there was no other choice for her, so in the back of my mind I knew I had that coming. But she produced some amazing tennis - I feel like I could have done a little bit better, but there was nothing I did absolutely wrong."

On her overall perspective..."When I go home I'll be more than happy with the summer. I'm in pretty good shoes, sitting here as a finalist of the US Open for my first time."

On Serena..."For me she's the greatest player of all time. She took the game to the next level. She makes me take my game, my personality and my physical aspect to the next level. Having players like that on the women's tour right now is something priceless, something you definitely cannot take away.

"On the other hand, if she wasn't there, I'd probably win more titles!"

On the good spirit between she and Serena after the match..."I truly admire her as a tennis player, and I feel like you can connect with somebody beyond just a tennis player - I absolutely admire her as a person too. It was honest feelings out there. I congratulated her with all my heart because I felt like she deserved to win. She was the best player there today."

On how she has been able to play at such a high level in her first two Grand Slam finals - the Australian Open and US Open this year..."Well, I'm not too bad of a player, right? So when you play at these stages you can't expect anything else. You have to come out and show your best tennis. There is no stepping back. It's the last match. As important as the semifinals, quarterfinals or any round you play is, the final round is always going to be the most important all the time. With all those high stakes and with the task being more difficult, for me it's more exciting. That fear and the adrenaline is coming, and you have to stand tall and just face it. It brings the best out of me."

On the feeling she has when playing at the US Open..."It's amazing. I feel like I'm in a place I belong. It's something you will never be able to describe with words. That feeling you get, that energy, all eyes on you, waiting for you to serve or return or whatever you're going to do, it's incredible.

"It's something we wake up every day for, to feel that atmosphere. It was not for me most of the time, which was fair enough, but it was still incredible."

On whether she heard from her family after the match..."Well I just got a message from my family, and they said, 'We love you.' So I don't need any other words from them. That's the most important."